This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

TORONTO -- It¡¯s prospect list season, another sign that the new campaign is just around the corner.

This isn¡¯t exactly the busiest season for the Blue Jays, who have lacked a threat to the top of these league-wide lists since Ricky Tiedemann¡¯s peak and the reign of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. well before that, but a pair of prospects cracked MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 list, which was released last week.

SS Arjun Nimmala (No. 87 overall)

RHP Trey Yesavage (No. 88 overall)

Toronto¡¯s farm system is entering a crucial year, but nothing will change the narrative more quickly than developing a star. Not a replacement-level player, not a platoon bat and not a depth starter, but a legitimate big leaguer who helps raise the ceiling of this organization, not just its floor. Nimmala and Yesavage are two of the Blue Jays¡¯ best shots.

Our new Blue Jays Top 30 list will be released in early March, bringing plenty of new names after last season¡¯s Trade Deadline additions. Prospect lists seem to publish earlier and earlier each year, but I¡¯ve always believed in the value of getting a fresh look at these players in camp first, getting a better feel for their offseasons and the progress they¡¯ve made since last year. We¡¯ll have full reporting on Nimmala, Yesavage and many more through camp, but here¡¯s how each profiles going in:

SS Arjun Nimmala

Nimmala represents exactly what this system needs more of: raw talent and physical upside. The 20th overall pick from the 2023 Draft was challenged with an assignment to Single-A Dunedin out of the gate in '24, and while he initially stumbled, that¡¯s all part of the story.

The Blue Jays pulled Nimmala back to the complex for a midsummer reset, and after he returned to Dunedin¡¯s roster in late June, he hit 13 home runs with an .895 OPS over 53 games. Nimmala looked far more confident at the plate, and given his physical tools, his natural swing will generate plenty of power all on its own.

That¡¯s where the excitement with Nimmala lies. He¡¯s a gifted athlete and a bright, engaging individual, but when scouts and members of the Blue Jays organization are asked about Nimmala, they go immediately to his physical upside. Nimmala¡¯s 6-foot-1 frame is filling out, but even as a high schooler, he was able to generate power with his broad shoulders and quick hands. This farm system has developed more contact hitters or strong plate approaches -- think Spencer Horwitz or Alan Roden -- but Nimmala is something different.

There¡¯s still a long way to go for the 19-year-old and he¡¯ll be challenged by more advanced pitching later in 2025, but all of the tools are there for Nimmala to be part of this club¡¯s next era in ¡®27 and beyond.

RHP Trey Yesavage

Toronto¡¯s 20th overall pick in the 2024 Draft didn¡¯t pitch in pro ball after being selected, but he spent time at the club¡¯s complex and has been building towards his debut in ¡®25. Already 21 with a few seasons of NCAA ball under his belt, Yesavage will be looking at a far quicker timeline than Nimmala if all goes well.

All of the traits line up for Yesavage, from a mid-90s fastball to his slider and splitter, each of which has the potential to be a legitimate out pitch in the big leagues. Add in the fact he¡¯s 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and brings a little edge? It¡¯s the perfect starting point for the Blue Jays with their top pitching prospect. What¡¯s important from here, though, is how quickly Yesavage moves and how he lines up with the team's succession plan in the rotation.

It¡¯s possible -- likely, even -- that Tiedemann and/or Alek Manoah could return from their elbow surgeries to contribute in late 2025 and take a rotation spot in ¡®26. Beyond that, though, the Blue Jays are short on top-end pitching depth. Chris Bassitt is a free agent after this season, Kevin Gausman can hit the open market after ¡®26 and Jose Berrios can opt out then, too. Toronto will need to find multiple answers, and if Yesavage can develop into a legitimate MLB starter in the next two years, that not only helps the Blue Jays on the field, it could save them $20 million a year in free agency.

This is Yesavage¡¯s setup season. If he can jump through a couple of levels and set himself up for Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo in 2026, it¡¯s a success.